PALEO SERIES

STATEMENT

The PALEO series is a set of original limited edition prints combining the techniques of linocut and chine-collé, in which a number of 3mm PVC sheets are rolled-inked and stamped on shimmering metallic paper. Its main characteristic is that the compositions in the geometry follow the Golden Ratio calculations.

This is a series in progress, although the works PALEO I and PALEO II are already available. In February 2015, the piece PALEO I was selected by the MGEC Fundación Museo de Grabado Español Contemporáneo (Museum of Contemporary Spanish Printmaking) to take part in the exhibition XII PREMIOS NACIONALES DE GRABADO (XXII NATIONAL PRINTMAKING AWARDS)

The PALEO series makes reference to primitive, prehistoric times where the origins of humankind are rooted. Our beginnings, where human evolution started, took place in caves and geological formations which served as refuge.

Not only did our cultural and artistic expressions began there, but the caves also served as a place for enlightenment and sacredness where the natural forces and symbols were honored through dance and fire rituals.

The PALEO series are a travel back to the source of human spirituality, where it all began.

Plato expressed the process of enlightenment through a very comprehensive metaphor in his Allegory Of The Cave. It literally is a path from the dimmed illusions created by the mutable element of fire in a confined environment, to the true source of light, spiritual awareness and universal Truth, where there is vastness and unlimited potential.

It seems appropriate to honor such important process in our evolution and go back to the beginning of such old, ancient times as a way to recover and acknowledge our spiritual human journeys.

Aligning with the earth, its layers and stratums, made of sand and minerals, so full of raw knowledge and energies, where our ancestors danced and played and learnt to be humans, seems necessary in order to access higher levels of consciousness and multidimensionality.

Through the PALEO series, I have aimed to bring these concepts into the modern times in order to project them into the future through geometrical compositions and structures that reflect the simplicity and perfection of the Universal processes of which we as humans are an essential part. Hence the use of the Golden Ratio in their creation.

I will soon post pictures that illustrate how this mathematical geometric relationship has been applied to my artworks. I strongly encourage you to delve deeper in the fascinating universe of sacred geometry and how these mathematical structures and latent patterns are present everywhere in nature (and that includes our human bodies!)

GYNĒ SERIES

STATEMENT

The GYNĒ series are one-of-a-kind original LED backlit artworks.

They talk about the genesis, going back to the beginning of creation.

In the conception of this series, the focus has been put on the representation of the aliveness and shapeshifting properties of the female bodies, ever evolving, adjusting, and transforming over time.

Embodying the essence of women as sensual creators, deeply atuned to the rhythms of life, these pieces seek to explore the dynamic depths, subtle movements, and color dances of the natural creation processes.

They talk about sacredness, mystery, and unexplored dimensions, symbolizing the intricacy that is palpable in the mesmerizing evolution of natural forms, quite often seemingly imperceptible but oh so penetrating.

It’s the primitive call of the feminine, always overflowing in its layering and inviting us to the root. They represent a travel through time and space to find out the essence of the journey, the blooming of form, where it all originated and where the light begun.

(Click on the images for more detailed information on each artwork and enlarged additional photos.)

SKYSCRAPERS SERIES

STATEMENT

The Skyscrapers series is inspired on what I saw when I first went to New York and I was in a narrow street, looking up, amazed, and admiring those huge buildings reaching the sky and almost touching each other in the infiniteness of perspective.

Skyscrapers is a work-in-progress series around the geometries that were imprinted in my psyche when I was first visiting NYC in 2014. It’s been one year in the making since I first started sketching these and begun working on felt, carrying out many studies around color, texture, and relief.

I finally decided to keep the original texture and hue of the untreated wool in this piece, exposing the contradiction between the warmth of such an organic material and the harshness of a hard geometry inspired by a city made of steel.

The result is a carefully crafted composition which presented a big challenge when it came to keeping it all together. I finally achieved a solid structure, but most importantly, I managed to reproduce in physical reality what was “only” a very detailed image in my mind’s eye.

A NOTE ON FELT:

When I started using felt, I chose it because I no longer had access to a large scale printmaking press, but I wanted to keep reproducing the texture and feeling of printmaking techniques like ink-free debossing and embossing.

Just like printmaking paper, felt is made of organic materials, and their crafting method has many similarities. But in this case, wool adds an extra layer of warmth and a deeper organic quality than paper, making the piece more alive and textured.

The tecniques used in Skyscrapers IV aimed to achieve a debossing printmaking feel to support the movement, depth and perspective of the geometrical composition. Using a single piece of felt was key in achieving such visual effect, in which the shapes look like they are emerging from the surface.

What I like most about this material, is that the untreated felt piece shows every imperfection and its unique characteristics, like darker textile fibers or even subtle fluorescent pink spots that are a vestige of the ink sprays stockbreeders use to mark sheep. I find such rawness and spontaneity very interesting and refreshing in contrast with the thoroughly designed geometry.

—– UPDATE —–

I’m glad to announce that my work “Skyscrapers IV” has been selected in the 47th edition of CNAL. This prestigious national art contest is convened annually by the city of Luarca, and gathers visual artists from a wide range of disciplines. The selected pieces will be exhibited in the showroom “Sala Álvaro Delgado” of said city, from November 11th to 25th 2016. On the final day of the exhibition, the selected artists will be handed out their corresponding awards and diplomas in a closing gala. I’ll keep you updated on all the events as the dates get closer. Thanks for all your support!

#1MONOPRINTADAY SERIES

STATEMENT

#1MONOPRINTADAY SERIES

#1monoprintaday is born out of the need to establish a solid, daily studio practice all while offering my collectors the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind original prints in an accessible, approachable way.

WHY? WHY? WHY?

The idea has been created as a means to dive deeper in the exploration of new printmaking techniques. So to speak, it’s an “excuse” to play even more with as many materials and processes as possible, with no restrictions. The goal is to stretch my creative muscles and document the process, making it readily available for my audience in order for it to feel even more alive, interactive and connected.
The ultimate intention behind embarking in such a venture for an undefined amount of time is to feel the challenge of getting out of the comfort bubble us artists tend to immerse ourselves in.
The creative process is very challenging in itself, and while it can sometimes feels like a breeze, or more like a lightning bolt of exhilaration and discovery, it – more often than not- feels rather like a internal battle.
In our struggle, we tend to hide and crawl back into our own comfort after a day – or months – of practice in which we’ve felt at war with the materials, the tools, and thetechniques, frustrated and unable to convey in physical reality what we can so clearly picture in our minds, what we’ve seen in our dreams and meditations, or in a sudden and intangible strike of inspiration.

I intend to lighten the process, make it more spontaneous.
I strive for my creations to get out of the studio, be seen, and, no matter what, regardless of how hard I might judge the results, produce a piece of art each day that is ready to be shared with the world.
I believe (and I can’t wait to witness it) that such an approach will interfere in the creation process, and that in itself is pure gold, because the pieces can come to life in a self-actualization process that is hard to attain through a more measured and thought-out methodology.
Nevertheless, throughout this project, I’ll keep developing other artistic explorations in the background in a more traditional way.

BUT WHAT IS A MONOPRINT ANYWAYS? YOU MAY ASK…

According to Wikipedia, “Monoprinting is a form of printmaking that has images or lines that can only be made once, unlike most printmaking, where there are multiple originals”.
Simply put, a monoprint, or monotype, is a one-of-a-kind original print created through a printmaking process. Beacause of how it’s created, a monoprint is impossible to reproduce, and that’s what makes it unique.

HOW DOES #1MONOPRINTADAY WORK?

– The project will kick off on Monday 9th April 2016. Every day, except for Mondays, I’ll be creating a new piece using printmaking techniques. That makes a total of 6 monotypes a week. By the end of each day, I’ll post the pics of every new creation to my Instagram account (http://www.instagram.com/pauladelrivero), and each piece will be up for sale in my shop ) as soon as it’s ready to be shipped. (Please note that each daily monoprint will not be available until a week later, in order to allow for the paper and inks to dry properly).

– All prints will be signed and numbered. In this case, as they are all monotypes, they will all be numbered 1/1.

– Prices will range from 50€ to 250€, depending on the size of the print. All pieces will be available worldwide.

– Subscribers will benefit from a 10% off in all purchases and an early announcement, so if you already are a member of my private community you can expect an email from me every Monday including a recap of all the available items as soon as they’re up for sale in the shop and a “collector discount” code for the week.
If you’re not a member of the community you can subscribe through the subscription box in my website (http://www.pauladelrivero.com/1monoprintaday).

It’ll be most supportive if you could hang out in the comments section of your preferred social platform, and give me your feedback through your interactions. Besides Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/pauladelrivero), I’ll also be sharing my work on Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/pauladelrivero) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pauladelrivero). Make sure you follow me to stay in the loop.

See you “out there” ;)

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CONTACT ME FOR A COMMISSION OR PRICE ENQUIRE:

If you'd like to know the availability and price of one of my works, please contact me through the form down below. Also, if you'd like to have a custom one-of-a-kind piece created just for you, share your vision with me - no strings attached. You can also book a complimentary online studio tour via Skype to know my artworks more closely. I've done it before with my private collectors and it's a very enriching and interesting experience on both ends.

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Please note that, out of respect for my collectors and my own work, I won't (never, ever) create a duplicate of any of my one-of-a-kind pieces. If you'd like to buy one of my unique original artworks but it has already been sold, you can commission a new custom variation on the theme, but no exact (or very similar) copies will ever be issued.